Perfect One Day Itinerary for Zion National Park

Need a quick and easy one day itinerary for Zion National Park? Want to beat the crowds? Looking for hikes that give you the best value for your limited time? Don’t want to risk your life for a hike? We got you.

This easy to follow one day itinerary to Zion National Park, Utah will help you beat the crowds and maximize your hiking time.

Catch the First Shuttle Bus

The best way to beat the crowds is to get to the park before them.

We arrived just before 7 am to catch the first shuttle bus of the day. The shuttle bus schedule changes throughout the year, so check when they start for your visit.

Keep in mind, Zion’s shuttle buses often start earlier than the Springdale shuttles.

On our trip, the Springdale buses didn’t start until 8 am. Instead of waiting the hour for the Springdale shuttle, we drove and parked for free at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. It may seem like an early start, but often the Zion Visitor Center parking fills up between 8 am – 9 am anyway.

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We stayed at the Zion Canyon Lodge, which was only a 5-minute drive away. There are also a few hotels close enough to walk into the park.

Our post Getting Around Zion further explains the shuttle buses and parking.

Take the Zion Shuttle to the Last Stop

We got off the shuttle at Stop 9 – Temple of Sinawava to start at the back of the park.

Okay, little side note. There are a lot of deceiving names at Zion. There’s actually no temple. Just like at Stop 6 – The Grotto, has no grotto.

From the bus stop, we followed the paved path to the left. The 2.2-mile round trip Riverside Walk took us about 1.5 hours. The trail was paved and was by far the easiest walk in the park.

We also saw the most wildlife on this trail, with mule deer and chipmunks being quite prevalent.

The Riverside Walk ended where the most famous hike in Zion begins, The Narrows.

To do the full hike up The Narrows is 9.4 miles round trip and takes about 8 hours. However, most folks only do a short section before turning around.

Even doing a short section requires wading through the cold Virgin River. Having good water shoes and a hiking stick is a must.

Unfortunately, there was a high risk of flash flooding while we were there, so we couldn’t do the trail. If you are going to do any section of The Narrows, check the flash flood risk before heading out.

With only one day in Zion National Park, we recommend doing more short hikes rather than one long hike. If you have multiple days in the park, the Narrows are worth considering.

Later in the day we did see flash flooding throughout the park. As thunderstorms rained down on Zion, makeshift waterfalls popped up everywhere. It was quite the sight, but only because we were in a safe spot when it happened.

Quick Look at Big Bend - Stop 8

The shuttles only stopped at Big Bend on the return trip.

Though there were no featured hikes here, it was worth a quick stop for the view of the Great White Throne with Angels Landing in the foreground. From the canyon floor, we could even see a couple of hikers making their way to Angels Landing.

Lucky us, there was a nest of endangered California Condors on the cliffs below Angels Landing. Though visitors weren’t allowed anywhere in the nesting area, the park rangers had telescopes so everyone could watch the very large babies.

Looking for Something Challenging?

As we started our day early, we were ahead of the crowds. The shuttles making their way into the canyon were already starting to fill, but we were headed the other way.

Once again, we skipped the longer hike, Angels Landing at Stop – 6, which takes about 4 hours. Though, the park rangers also warned us that Angels Landing shouldn’t be attempted on rainy days.

If you’re not familiar with Angels Landing, it’s a challenging hike, known for some pretty dangerous drop-offs. Even in good weather, it may not be for you.

However, there is an alternative, if you’re up for a challenging hike that doesn’t risk your life. You could do just the first part of the Angels Landing trail, up to Scout Lookout. The walk from Stop 6 is about 5 miles round-trip and takes about 2.5 hours.

As there’s no shade, and the hike gets very crowded, we recommend doing this one early in the day.

**From April 1, 2022 a permit is required to hike to Angel’s Landing, but not to Scout Lookout. This is a pilot program so check the park’s permit page for up-to-date information.

Next Stop, Zion Lodge

We got off the shuttle at Stop – 6 to look for “The Grotto.” However, it doesn’t actually exist. Instead of getting back on the shuttle, we took The Grotto Trail to Zion Lodge. It’s a nice easy paved walk but wasn’t really worth the time.

At Zion Lodge, we grabbed a quick late breakfast and coffee at the onsite cafe. By the time we finished, we could tell things were starting to get busier.

From Zion Lodge, we crossed the street for the Emerald Pools Trail.

We found it easier to head up the Lower Emerald Pools Trail to the Upper Pools. On the return trip, we took the Middle Pools Trail back down, which had the best views.

Honestly, the pools are not worth writing about, but with views up and down the canyon, the hike was gorgeous.

Tarantulas seem to be common in Zion, not as common as chipmunks or mule deer, but we did see two on our adventures. The first one we saw was making its way across the Lower Emerald Pools Trail. To our surprise they are very slow.

Take in the View of the Court of the Patriarchs

By the time we finished the Emerald Pool Trail, it was mid-afternoon, and we were starving. We headed back to the car at the visitor center where we left our picnic lunch.

Shortly after sitting down at one of the tables at the back of the parking lot, it started storming. It had been drizzling on-and-off all day, but now it was thundering and lightening. Unfortunately, that put a damper on heading back into the main park.

Our regret, not stopping for the quick view of the Court of the Patriarchs before grabbing lunch. The trail only takes a couple of minutes to do and it’s worth the look.

At the end of the small trail is a viewpoint of five mountain peaks: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, The Sentinel, and Mount Moroni.

Apparently, it’s beautiful in the morning light; however, with only one full day at Zion, we were more concerned about not getting stuck in the crowds. Plus, we found a better spot for sunrise in Zion.